Dr. Robin Bond, biogeochemist at a PUI 🧪
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diygeochemist.bsky.social
Dr. Robin Bond, biogeochemist at a PUI 🧪
@diygeochemist.bsky.social
Ace/autistic biracial biogeochemist. I study life + trace metal cycling + reactive oxygen species & teach analytical chem. Also union gal, bookworm, Youtuber, DV survivor w/ PTSD. She/they. My views are my own and not those of my institution.
Yup. Our McNair Scholars program is one of the things that was axed.
November 11, 2025 at 6:12 PM
It really pisses me off that our vulnerable students--first generation students, those with disabilities, etc.--no longer get help subsidized by the government.
November 11, 2025 at 4:39 PM
Only 10? I'm disappointed in you.

(I plan to reread before the end of the year)
November 11, 2025 at 3:47 PM
Reposted by Dr. Robin Bond, biogeochemist at a PUI 🧪
Afghanistan cost taxpayers $2.3 trillion. We got zilch in return.

They've trained us to think that it's weakness to have government social programs. Actually, it's social investment.

Our taxes SHOULD go to education, healthcare, maternity, & other supporting systems instead of wasted on war. 🧵
November 8, 2025 at 11:09 AM
Glad your brain has cooled off. Hope things stay quiet in that regard so you can have a peaceful week.
November 11, 2025 at 2:42 AM
The other 1/3 take lecture and lab much further apart (like 2 yrs) and it can be extremely problematic.

I am trying to envision how this would work for gen chem and alarm bells are going off in my head.
November 11, 2025 at 2:34 AM
OK, this is very interesting. Our sophomore level analytical has decoupled lecture + lab, and that causes a few issues. I teach the lecture & two of the three lab sections, so I know that roughly 1/3 of the people take lecture and lab in the same semester, 1/3 take one a semester before the other...
November 11, 2025 at 2:33 AM
The place I went to undergrad for my first two years had this system, and boy did it fuck with the registrar at the new school when I transferred out, lol
November 11, 2025 at 2:27 AM
Thing 2 was fixed for a mere fraction of what it could have cost. All in all, I can't believe how lucky I was to get resolution to both issues for a few hundred bucks total...

Getting off this easy financially is unusual for my brand of luck. I am very grateful tonight.
November 11, 2025 at 2:25 AM
In the past, I've taught several classes (not just gen chem) as either (3) 50-min lectures or (2) 80-min lectures.

I definitely prefer the longer lectures. Technically, it's only 10 extra minutes of lecture, but there's also less starting-and-stopping time, and that makes a huge difference.
November 10, 2025 at 5:46 PM
My understanding (I haven't taught gen chem since moving to NMU) is that here we have:
(3) 50-min lectures (which I guess is 2.5 hrs lecture)
(1) 50-min discussion
(1) 2 hr 50 min lab

...for 5 semester credits.
November 10, 2025 at 5:43 PM
Thing 1 was a much easier fix than expected (i.e. I can make things work w/o spending money). Thing 2, I am not so optimistic about. We will find out this afternoon!
November 10, 2025 at 5:23 PM
I guess I'm horrible at following Bsky updates, as I didn't even know it was a possibility. I don't have nearly the following that you do, and I'm not Black, but I imagine it might make my life a bit easier.
November 10, 2025 at 2:24 PM
I didn't even know that was an option. Thanks for alerting me to this.
November 10, 2025 at 2:19 PM